THE STATE Lab said yesterday it would await directions from the EU and world food bodies before taking any action over a new study that says a common preservative in soft drinks can alter DNA.
Senior State Lab official Eleni Kakouri told state radio the authorities were aware of the study by Professor Peter Piper at the University of Sheffield who found that sodium benzoate could cause cell damage.
She said the topic was being monitored but said investigations could not be launched on the basis of one study alone. “We are waiting to see if any measures will be announced by the EU or the FAO,” she said.
Piper, an expert in molecular biology, found that sodium benzoate contributed to faster ageing and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s. He called on governments to pressure drinks makers to find alternative forms of preserving their products.
According to reports in the UK, where some politicians have called for an enquiry, this is the third time in 12 months that damaging news about sodium benzoate, which is known as E211 in the EU.
One investigation said the soft drinks industry knew the preservative could break down to form benzene, a potential carcinogen when missed with ascorbic acid.
“We are feeding very large amounts of preservatives like this to children. Is this a completely safe practice? I think the question has to be put there,” said Piper said in an interview with online magazine BeverageDaily.com.
He said some children’s livers were “working overtime” to process the amount of sodium benzoate entering their bodies.
“I understand industry concerns about shelf life, but they have to ask – is this [sodium benzoate] completely necessary?” he said.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) reviewed professor Piper’s original 1999 study but found its relevance to humans was “unclear”.
Sodium benzoate is not only used in soft drinks. It is also contained in preserves, salad dressings, jams, fruit juices, sauces such as soy and mustard, alcohol-based mouthwash and silver polish. It has also been used in fireworks and is found naturally in small quantities in cranberries, plums, prunes, cloves and apples.
According to experts the taste of sodium benzoate cannot be detected by around 25 per cent of the population, but for those who can taste the chemical, it tends to be perceived as sweet, salty, or sometimes bitter.
??
??
??
??
